newness in Christ

The bright rays of the sun glisten through your kitchen window enough that you have to squint your eyes. It illuminates the entire room and welcomes the new day! Do you have a morning routine that sets up your day right? Maybe you drink water and stretch, read the word or grab a cup of coffee. Whatever your routine is, the new day brings much opportunity and unknowns for what is to come. Whatever the previous day held, this day is different and you have another opportunity to live well. One of my favorite verses in Psalms says, “For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5). Although we may not know what the next day brings we do know that there is going to be joy in the morning and a new opportunity to tackle the day. If you end the day disappointed, sad, or happy, we have a peace knowing that the Lord provides for the next day.

It’s almost like our slate is wiped clean each day and we have a fresh chance on our lives. Whatever we do each day, however, should be for Christ. Of course we are not perfect and will continue to need his guidance. Its kind of when you rip a hole in your pants and they are no longer durable to wear. You clearly need to go and get new ones and once you do, usually the old ones are thrown away. Maybe you’ve grown or changed sizes of clothes and you need to get new ones. The old ones don’t fit anymore and you might throw them away or donate them. Similarly in our way of living, through Christ we are made new in Him and our old ways of living might not fit in our new lives. Ephesians 4:20-24 depicts this well as it says, “That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” Where through Christ we are made entirely new and will have to change ways about our lives that we would follow the way of Christ.

If we are truly in Christ and truly to follow Him, our lives look different. The way we think, talk and walk all are influenced by how Christ works in our lives as we enter into communion with Him. Paul writes this well in his letter to the Corinthians as he says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, He is a new creation; old things have passed away; beheld, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Today, as we enter into this new day, let us walk in Christ knowing the clean slate we have in Him. Let us also look inward at our actions that they reflect the light of the Lord.